This invention generally relates to mechanisms for the quick release of tension in lading strapping that is secured about cargo, more particularly to an integral, telescoping quick-release mechanism having a housing directly secured to a railway freight car within which are sidably and telescopingly mounted a sleeve member and an anchor rod to which the lading strapping is attached, the sleeve being lockable within the housing to maintain tension in the lading strapping during transport of the cargo and being unlockable when desired to relieve the tension prior to removal of the lading strapping.
Various commodities are shipped in open freight carrying cars, requiring that such cargo be tied down for safe transport over long distances and rough terrain or tracks, such commodities including, for example, logs, lumber, plaster board, and large bulky items such as machinery. In some instances, the lading strapping, which typically are steel bands, are secured to bolts, U-brackets, hooks, or the like that are simply welded to the railway car, and the strapping is typically removed by severing or otherwise unfastening the strapping which then has a tendency to spring around the cargo and fly up, posing a possible danger to workmen and/or the cargo.
Often, such lading strapping systems incorporate snubbing devices to develop and maintain tension within the lading strapping while the cargo is being transported, but at times these devices are not structured so as to be easily and quickly releasable, with the result that workers typically sever the lading straps while they are still under substantial tension around the cargo, whereupon they will usually spring up and fly about.
In an effort to enhance the ease of operation and improve the safety of these types of devices, quick-release mechanisms have been provided whereby the tension under which the lading straps are compressed can be substantially eliminated before the strapping is removed or severed. The types of quick-release mechanisms that are heretofore known are typically of a type which are mounted such that one end thereof is generally even with the deck level, often within troughs at the edge of the deck, and such that the bulk of the devices projects above deck level when it is under tension from the strapping. Usually such devices will be designed such that, when they are not in use for tensioning the strapping around cargo during transport thereof, they are supposed to lie within the trough for storage. It sometimes happens, however, that such devices are not properly laid within their respective troughs, but lie at least in part on the floor or bed of the freight car, at which position they can be readily damaged by lift trucks while the cargo is being unloaded from the freight car, or they can pose an obstacle for workers on the freight car. Even when such devices are properly stored in their troughs when not in use, they are subject to being damaged by rattling about within the troughs or to bouncing out of the troughs as the car is transported over rough terrain or tracks while they are not under tension from cargo strapping.
By the present invention, these various difficulties and problems are substantially removed by providing a telescoping type of quick-release mechanism that is rigidly mounted directly to the side of the freight trailer or car, the device having a structure such that tension within lading strapping secured over cargo can be locked into the device after having been manually locked by rotation of a sleeve relative to stationary housing. The device can then be quickly and readily released by rotating the sleeve to an unlocked position, after which the strapping can be safely removed or severed, at which time the quick-release mechanism automatically falls down by gravity into an integral, collapsed configuration free and clear of the trailer or car deck, the device being biased in this collapsed condition by gravitational forces even while the device is transported over rough terrain without being in use to anchor lading strapping over cargo, whereby the device generally maintains itself in its collapsed condition whereat it is safely tucked away to avoid interference with lift trucks or workmen.
It is accordingly a general object of this invention to provide an improved quick-release device for anchoring lading strapping.
Another object of the present invention is an improved lading strapping quick-release device of the integral type which collapses into itself when not in use.
Another object of the present invention is an improved quick-release mechanism for tensioned lading strapping which includes a locking means for maintaining at least a partially collapsed condition prior to and during telescoped positioning in order to quickly release tension within the lading strapping.
Another object of this invention is an improved quick-release device for anchoring lading strapping, which, when not in use, collapses into itself at a location generally flush with the floor of the trailer or car.